Belt conveyer drive



April l, 1952 s. c. MOON BELT CONVEYER DRIVE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 3, 1948 ANU, W, ,vn O T M T H C G/ April 1, 1952 s. c. MOON BELT coNvEYER DRIVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 3, 1948 /NVE/VTo/a STERLING QMooN,

S. C. MOON BELT CONVEYER DRIVE April 1, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 3. 1948 /igv 6 INVENTOR; STERLING. CJVIOON,

ATT'Y.

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 BELT CONVEYER DRIVE Sterling C. Moon, Worthington, Ohio, assigner to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application February 3, 1948, Serial No. 6,035

1 Claim.

My invention relates to endless belt conveyers and more particularly to the drive, head, or power mechanism of such conveyers.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved endless belt type conveyer, or the head or power section thereof, wherein at least two widely spaced pulleys, preferably the head pulley and another pulley rearwardly thereof, are power driven and wherein powei` for driving said pulleys is transmitted from a motor to the pulleys, said pulleys being interconnected through a drive shaft that lies parallel with and adjacent one side of the main frame of the conveyer or which extends substantially parallel with and is positioned preferably to one side of the conveyer belt.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved endless belt type conveyer or power section therefor wherein a Vplurality of drivingpulleys over Which the belt of theconveyer is reeved are employed and the pulleys are driven either in the same or opposite directions each through a speed reducing gearing positioned at one side of the main frame of the conveyer, said speed reducing gearing is interconnected through a drive shaft mechanism which extends along the side of the conveyer frame or substantially parallel with and is positioned preferably to one side of the conveyer belt and located longitudinally, at least in part. between said speed reducing gearings.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of a head or power section ofa conveyer that embodies features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the head or power section shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of an endless belt conveyer embodying features-of my invention with a portion of the conveyer removed;

Fig. 4 is a side view in elevation of the conveyer shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View in plan of still other conveyer head or power section embodying features of my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the pulley and belt arrangement of the ccnveyer head or power section shown in Fig. 5.

Referring rst to Figs 1 and 2 of the draw-A ings the conveyer head or power section l0 shown therein includesY a main frame I I which is formed by a base 'pan I2 and spaced upright side members including a pair of front members I3 which extend upwardly from the base pan I2 and support a pair of top spaced main frame side members I4. The side members I4 are interconnected by a plurality of tubular members I5 which are welded at their ends directly to the side members I4 to connect them into a rigid unitary structure. Tubular members I5 are interconnected by a plurality of flat reinforcing and roller bracket supporting plates I6 which are welded at opposite edges to the tubular members I5. Adjacent the discharge end of the main frame il the plates I6 are doubled, that is, there is one above the other and opposite ends of the left edges of these plates, as seen in Fig. 1, are welded to the side frame members I4. The rear or left hand end of each of the side frame members I4 is secured to an upright side main frame member I'! which is connected at its bottom to the base pan I2. Extending rearwardly from upwardly extending side plates I1 to other spaced upright side main frame members I8 are support members i9 that carry a deck plate 20 which in turn carries a plurality of generally upwardly extending brackets 2! that receive belt supporting idler rolls 22. Brackets 2I and rolls 22 are also carried by certain of the reinforcing plates I6. Rolls 22 form supports over which the working or conveying run 23 of an endless belt 24 travels and these idler rolls form the conveying or working run 23 of belt 25 into the shape of a trough. The base pan I2 supports idler rolls 25 which carry the return run 26 of the endless belt 24.. The foot section, not shown, of the coni veyer of which the head section I0 forms a part includes a foot or tail pulley about which the endless belt 24 is reeved and the belt 24 in passing over this pulley leaves the return run 26 and enters the working or conveying run 23.

The main frame I I includes a detachable motor receiving portion or base 2'! which may be moved to either side of the main frame and when in position extends to one side of one of the spaced upright side members of the main frame which upright members are each formed by a side mem-ber i4 and upwardly extending' side members I 3, l'I and I8 and a support member I9. The working or conveying run 23 of the endless belt 24 operates over the trough rolls 22 of the main frame I! and is reeved about a belt driving head pulley 23 the shaft 29 of which |is carried at its end in bearings carried by the side members It. The ends of the shaft 29 extend through the bearings 30 and outwardly of the main frame il and one of its endsis protected by a removable cover carried by one of the frame members |4. The other end of shaft 29 extends into a speed reducing gear mechanism 3| which is outside the opposite member I4 of the main frame I| and through which the shaft 29 and pulley 28 are driven. rThis speed reducing gear mechanism 3| is described hereinafter. As the belt 24 leaves the head pulley 28 it begins its return run through the main frame II, that is, it begins to travel through the main frame I l toward the foot or tail pulley of the conveyor. Immediately after leaving the head pulley 28 the return run 2S of the conveyer belt 24 slides over a pair of belt cleaner or scraper units 32 which are carried by members 33 that form'parts of the main frame II. From the scraper units 32 the return run 25 passes to a power driven pulley 34 the shaft 35 of which extends across the main frame I and the ends of which are supported in bearings 36 carried by the opposite center upright side plates |1 of main frame I I. Return run 2t of belt 24 is reeved over or looped about the pulley 34 and travels forwardly over a third pulley 31 positioned intermediate the head pulley 28 and the rear pulley 34 from which it travels rearwardly through the main frame II between the side members thereof and over the rolls 25 to the foot or tail pulley of the conveyer. The intermediate pulley 31 is carried for bodily movement with respect to the power driven pulleys'28 and 34 and the ends of its shaft 38 are carried by slide blocks 39 which are adjusted lengthwise of the frame II by an adjusting screw 40. The pulley 31 is bodily movable to provide an adjusting means for adjusting the tension or tautness of the conveyer belt 24. It will be noted that the driving pulley 34 is located longitudinally an appreciable distance to the rear of the power driven head pulley 23. Consequently these interconnected pulleys are widely spaced apart.

The structure of that portion of the conveyer head or power section thus far described with the exception of the speed'reducing gear mechanism 3| is well known in the art. Heretofore the pulleys that drove'the endless belt have been connected to the driving motor of the conveyor through chains and sprockets which I have entirely eliminated in my improved conveyor construction, therefore the description of the drive mechanisms now to be described when taken alone or with the parallel relationship of the axes of the belt driving pulleys and the relation ofthe pulleys with respect to the main frame I i of the belt 24 of the conveyer form important parts of my invention.

TheY shaft 25 of head pulley 2S extends across the main frame I| between.` the side members I4 and is supported therebetween, as previously described, by the bearings 32 carried by the side frame members i 4 and one end of the shaft 29 extends into the speed reducing gear mechanism 3|. The mechanism 5I includes a gear 4I secured directly to the end of the pulley shaft for driving it and gear 4I is driven by a worm pinion andshaft 42. The pinion shaft 42 is bearinged at both of its ends to the housing 43 of the speed reducing gear mechanism 3| and its rear end extends through the housing and is connected to drive shaft 44 through a universal joint 53 through which the speed reducing gear mechanism 3| and consequently the head or front pulley `28 is driven.

that are supported by the central upright plates l1 of the main frame II and one of the extending ends of shaft 35 extends into a speed reduc-.

ing gear mechanism 41. The structure of speed reducing gear mechanism 41 is identical with that of speedreducing gear mechanism 3| except that in the speed reducing gear mechanism 41 the pinion shaft 48 extends at both of its ends through the housing 49 whereas the shaft 42 of speed reducing gear mechanism 3| extends rearwardly only through the housing of the mechanism, the front of the housing being closed by a bearing covering cap 5).

The rearwardly extending end of pinion shaft 42 of speed reducing mechanism 3| and the forwardly extending end of the worin shaft 48 are interconnected through a drive shaft means 5I. Drive shaft means 5| includes the drive shaft 44 and universal joint 53 Yand a second drive shaft 52 and its universal joints 53. Because the length of the drive shaft means 5I is relatively great and because the drive shaft of means 5I rotates at a relatively high speed, there is provided be'- tween the individual drive shafts 44 and 52 a fist structure 54 carried -by the side member I4. rIhe fist 54 includes a housing in which there is a through shaft carried in suitable bearings that connects through two of the universal joints 53 the short forward and rearward drive shafts 44 and 52 of drive shaft means 5|. Fist 54 is provided to support and prevent whipping of thedrive shaft means 5| between the speed reducing mechanisms 4| and 31.

The motor platform or base portion 21 of the main frame Il is placed to extend outwardly from the same side of the main frame I as do the speed reducing mechanisms 3| and 41 in order that the axes of the pinion shafts 42 and 48 of speed reducing mechanisms 3| and 41 and the axis of the armature shaft of motor 55 which is supported by the platform 21 will lie in planes that are substantially parallel with and to the same upright side of the main frame II. The armature shaft of motor 55 is connected to the rear end of pinion shaft 48 of speed reducing gear mechanism 41 through a short drive shaft 55 including universal joints 51. Each of the drive shafts 44, 52 and 56 are telesco-pically connected with one of their universal joints and the universal joints are provided to accommodate misalignment of the shafts of the speed reducing gear mechanisms 3|' and 41 and the axis of the motor shaft. 'Y

It will be seen that when the endless belt 24 is to be driven, the armature shaft of motor 55 will be driven to rotate the drive shaft means 5| including shaft 56, pinion shaft 48, shaft 52, the shaft of fist 54, shaft 44 and the pinion shaft 42, thus providing a drive shaft means that extends along or parallel with one of the upright side members of the main frame I I.

When the conveying or working run 23 of belt 24 is to be driven toward the head pulley 28, the `motor 55 is driven in such direction that the vspeed reducing mechanism 41 will drive the rear belt driving pulley 34 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, and the worm 42 and gear 4I of the speed reducing mechanism 3| will drive the head pulley 28 in a counter-clockwise or reverse direction with respect to the pulley 34.' The drive shafts and universal Vjoints of the drive shaft means 5| are protected by a cover 58 whichextends from the adjacent side member I4 outwardly and downwardly over them. A suitable guard ,59 covers the exposedend of the armature shaft 5 of motor 55 and the universal joint 5l associated therewith.

It will be seen that the structure of the conveyer head or power section I provides a pair of speed reducing gear mechanisms and a motor for driving both of them through a drive shaft means that extends to one side of and substantially parallel with the main frame I I, thus providing a drive structure which when associated with a conveyer head or power section provides a section which4 is` relatively. narrow and has no chains orthe like. It will also be seen that all of the operating parts of the drive mechanism such as the gears and bearings are sealed away from grit and dirt Within housings which may contain liquid or semi-liquid lubricants.

Referring again to Fig. l, because both ends of the pulley shafts 29 and 35 extend through the side members of the conveyer head 0r power section I0 and because the motor base receiving poition 2'| is movable to either sidelthereof, the drive means 5I and the speed reducing gear mechanisms 3| and 41 may beplaced at either side of the main frame I I. The housings of speed reducing gear mechanisms 3| and 4l are each provided with a closure member 45 which may be transferred from side to side of the housing to permit the reception of the extending ends of the drive shaft 29 or 35 when the gear mechanisms are transferred from one side to the other of the conveyer head IIJ.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, main frame 60 of the head or power section 6| of the conveyer shown is generally similar in structure to the main frame I I of the conveyer head or power section I0 shown in Figs. l and 2 except that its overall length is reduced and therefore the front upright member 52 of its sides support its intermediate and rear belt supporting pulleys 63 and 4B. In this conveyer head or power section the belt supporting and driving pulleys are all carried by the upright members which co-operate to form the upright sides of the main frame 60 and the belt adjusting pulley mechanism is contained in the foot or tail section 64 of the conveyer. In the conveyer head or power section 6|- there is a power driven head pulley 65 the shaft 66 of which is carried by the Vforward ends of the side members 61 of the main frame 6I) in a manner identical to that in which the pulley 28 and shaft 29 of the main frame l0 ofthe conveyer head in Figs. 1 and 2 are carried. In this, embodiment of my invention the intermediate pulley 63 is power ployed for moving this pulley bodily with respect to the frame of the conveyer and pulleys 63:, 461 and E5.

I have employed as anadjusting mechanism for the foot pulley 58 and at each side thereof, a bearing block 69 which is adjustable longitudinally of the main frame in a rack or way by an adjusting screw lil. uIn the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the speed reducing gearings for the pulleys 65 and |53` are arranged to be at the same side of the main frame The gearings are identical with those described in connection with the conveyer head or power section Ii] shown in Figs. land 2 and therefore are designated by the same numerals. Because the distance between the speed reducing gear mechanisms 3l and 4l in conveyer head 6| is not great these mechanisms are interconnected only by a single drive shaft 'II including universal joints. In head or power section 6I the motor is also attached to the main frame at the same `Side of and rearwardly of the speed reducing mechanisms 3| and 41 and the :armature shaft of the motor 55 is connected to the speed reducing mechanism 4l for pulley 63 through a drive shaft II including universal joints. It is to be noted that th housing of the speed reducing mechanism 3| for the pulley 65 of conveyer head or power section `5| is inverted with respect to the speed reducing mechanism 3| as employed Y in head or power section I|l,-shown in Figs. l and driven while the rear pulley 46 is an idler pulley A whereas in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the rearward pulley 34 is power driven and the forward or intermediate pulley 37 is an idler. This arrangement of driven pulleys for driving the belt 24 is preferable in certain instances, for example, when wet or sticky materials are to be conveyed by the working run of the endless conveyer belt because the belt scraper or cleaner unit 32 may not dry the belt but may only imperfectly clean it. When this arrangement of driving pulleys is employed the dry, clean, or non-conveying side of the belt loops over and engages the head and intermediate driving pulleys and 63 and therefore the belt is driven with no slippage between the belt and its driving pulleys due to sticky, wet or foreign material which may adhere to the upper or outer working side of the conveyer belt 24. The foot or tail pulley 68 of this conveyer, as previously mentioned, is the pulley which is utilized for adjusting the tension of the conveyer A belt 24.

Any suitable mechanism may be em- 2, both to reduce the overall height of the discharge end of the conveyer and `to` permit the same mechanisms to be employed for driving pulleys E5 and 63 in the same direction, namely, counter-clockwise, as seen in Fig. 4. The motor 55, drive shafts 1|, 'II and speed reducing gear mechanisms 3| and 4I may be positioned at either side of the main frame GII of the head or power section 6 I.

The head or power section shown in Fig. 5 is similar to the head or power section 5| shown in Figs. 3 and Ll and has itspconveyer belt looped over pulleys, as shown in Fig. 6. The path of the belts and the position of the driving pulleys are `identical in both embodiments. The structure of the head or power section shown in Fig. 5 may be similar in all respects to the structure 5|' except that here there is substituted for the speed reducing gear-ings 3| and 4,1 of Figs. 3 and 4 speed reducing gear mechanisms I2 and I3 which may include gears of the spur type. The gearing in the speed reducing mechanism 13 ine cludes a bevel pinion lll connected to the motor 55 by a drive shaft l5 including universal joints. The pinion 'I4 is driven by the motor 55 to drive a large bevel gear 'I6 which is part of a spur gear Tl. Spur gear 'Il drives a still larger spur gear 'E8 which is carried by and drives the shaft I9 of the intermediately positioned belt driving pulley 8i] to drive the pulley 80 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6. The shaft 79 of pulley 80 is supported at each of its ends by bearings in the upright members of the sides of the main frame and the housing of speed reducing gearing mechanism 'I3 is carried by one of the extending ends of shaft 19 which extends through the side of the main frame. The housing of gear mechanism 'I3 could rotate about the shaft 'I9 except that I have provided a single anchor 8| for attaching it loosely to the main frame. This method of arrangement of the speed reducing gear mechanism permits it to be carried floatingly both by the frame and the pulley shaft 79. The pinion shaft 82 which carriesbeveled pinion gear 14 extends through the housing of mechanism 13 and is connected with the speed reducing gear mechanism 12 on shaft 83 of the head pulley through a drive shaft including universal joints. Speed reducing gear mechanism 12 is identical in construction to speed reducing gear mechanism 13 and is mounted to the shaft 83 and the main frame of the conveyer in a manner that is identical to that by which theV mechanism 13 is mounted. However, it is to be noted in connection with speed reducing gear mechanism 12 that the pinion gear shaft does not extend through the front vof the housing. In operation when vthe motor 55 is operated the head pulley S4 and pulley 80 are both driven in the same direction.

It is to be noted that in all of the embodiments of my invention which I. have shown the shafts lof all of the belt driving pulleys extend to both sides of the conveyer frame, are parallel with each other, and each of their ends is carried by one of the opposite side members of the main frame. Because thevpulley shafts extend through both sides of the main frame, the speed reducing gearing and motor 55 may be transposed from side to side of the main frame, as desired. All of the members co-operating to form the speed -reducing gear mechanism and the motor are Y positioned at the same side of the conveyer frame Vsubstantially in alignment and extend longitudinally of the endless conveyer belt and at one side thereof. It is also to be noted that the improved drive means which I have provided entirely avoids the use of sprockets and chains and permits of a selection of any one or any combination of the pulleys of the head section to be employed to drive the endless conveyer belt. Therefore, if the conveyer is to convey wet or sticky material, the head or intermediate pulleys may be used as the driving pulleys and if the conveyer is to convey dry material the head and rear pulleys may be selected as driving pulleys, if desired.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make variousl changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from Vthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and I Wish therefore not to be Vrestricted to the precise construction hereinV disclosed.

Having thus described and shown-.an embodiment of my invention, what I desire tolsecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An endless belt conveyer including a head section having a main frame including spaced upright side members, a head pulley at the front of said frame and between the side members thereof, an endless belt reeved over said pulley to form an upper conveying run and a lower return run, a pair of closely positioned pulleys spaced longitudinally rearwardly of said head pulley an appreciable distance over which the return run of said endless belt is reeved, a drive shaft for said head pulley, a drive shaft for one pulley of said pair of pulleys, said drive shafts extending transversely of said frame and having their ends projecting laterally beyond the sides thereof, drive mechanism for said pulley drive shafts including a speed reducing gear mechanism carried on one end of each of said shafts and on the sameside of said frame, a motor on said frame spaced longitudinally rearwardly 0f the rearmost of said speed reducing gear mechanisms, and drive shaft means extending longitudinally and laterally of said frame interconnecting said motor and speed reducing gear mechanisms including a shaft having a universal joint adjacent each end interconnecting said motor and the rearmost of said speed reducing mechanisms, and drive shaft means having a universal joint at each end thereof interconnecting said speed reducing gear mechanisms, said pulley drivel shafts projecting laterally beyond the sides of said frame as aforesaid to receive said drive mechanism upon either side of said frame.

VSTERLING c. MOON.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record Yin the fileV of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,693,344 Morgan Nov. 27, 1928 1,945,744 Levin Feb. 6, 1934 2,168,622 Levin Aug. 8 ,1939 2,215,647 Lightfoot Sept. 24, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 419,322 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1934 549,013 France Nov; 7, 1922 

